Goodbye and hello
by Flamethrower100
Summary: Ronnie may get the chance to know her daughter, but not in the way she suspected.
1. Chapter 1

Goodbye.

Ronnie sneaks into Andy's house to steal things that once belonged to Danielle after she is banned from the funeral. Then she decides to go, regardless of what anyone thinks. When she gets back home there is a letter from her dead daughter waiting for her.

Chapter one.

It was Tuesday the fourteenth of April, a pile of unopened cards lay piled up, on the coffee table.

Ronnie felt ill, maybe because this was the day her daughter would be buried in the cold hard earth, far away in some damp meaningless graveyard, in some coffin that she had no authority over, probably right next to her adoptive mother. Was that right? Ronnie didn't think so, she had wanted to put her locket in with Danielle when she was buried, but the girl's father had refused, yelling aggressively, "You are not her mother! Stay away from me and my family!"

"I begged him to let me go… But he won't see reason…" Ronnie explained to her sister, as they sat side by side in the living room, "I gave birth to her didn't I…. I'm gonna be there whether he likes it or not!"

Roxy had been up all night with Amy and was tired, she shut her eyes and breathed heavily, "You don't want to cause a scene at Danielle's funeral remember…" she reminded Ronnie gently, "Remember we agreed that you'd say your goodbyes later on, after the service…. I'll come with you if you want…."

"Yeh well… I've changed my mind!" snapped Ronnie, glaring at her sister, "Who's side are you on anyway! I didn't want to give her up!" she started to yell, "I was forced into it! Therefore I am not the one to blame here! I know that you obviously think that I should take a step back, you wouldn't be saying that if she were yours…"

"Look I know what your saying…" insisted Roxy, who was trying to keep calm, "But… Danielle has died, and I don't think that you've come to terms with that yet… That girl's adoptive family brought her up Ronnie, if you go to the funeral it's going to make the day ten times harder for them… Would Danielle want you to go and cause a row…"

"Danielle can't want anything!" screamed Ronnie, getting up from the sofa, "She's gone, encase you hadn't noticed… Because that brainless cow Janine can't stop herself for speeding around the square like a maniac…… Look I'm sorry…" she added rationally, "Maybe you're right. I caused nothing but misery for that girl when she was alive, and now I'm doing the same thing…"

"No…" insisted Roxy soothingly, "That's not what I mean, You didn't know, none of us did… Well except for "Him" of course.."

"All I want…" Ronnie blurted out passionately, "Is to give Danielle her locket back, so that she can…." she stopped suddenly and continued more calmly, "Oh I don't know…. I'm just being stupid…"

"It's not stupid… But why don't keep the locket aye…. Keep it for her…" suggested her sister softly.

Ronnie wiped her eyes as she was beginning to cry again, as she had been doing for the last week, every hour or so, "She's gone and that's it…." she said flatly, "These daft sentiments won't ever change that…. I'm going out ok….. I Want to be left alone…"

"Don't worry…" she added before exiting the door, "I'll stay away from my daughter's funeral…"

Ronnie banged loudly on the Slater's front door, Stacey answered, she was wearing a rather tarty looking black outfit, presumably she was dressed for the funeral.

"What de you want…" asked Stacey with a scowl on her face, "I thought I told you to leave me alone… I don't want to talk to you about Danielle, I thought I was being clear when I told you that I cant deal wiv it right now…"

"I just need her address that's all, the one in Telford… I just want to see the place where she grew up, surely you can understand that…" Ronnie pleaded with her, "Her dad has already banned me from the funeral!" she added, hoping to get Stacey on side.

Stacey glared at Ronnie for a moment, "Fine… I'll get it for you… but you just leave Danielle's family alone, they don't need the grief of you turning up on their door step…"

Stacey slammed the door and then returned a moment later with a piece of paper, "There, I rit it down for ya… Now get outa my face…"

Ronnie reached out and took the address, and gave Stacey a look of thanks…. For the door was slammed once more in her face.

She headed off down to the station and purchased a ticket. What ever happened she had to know what kind of life her daughter had led, whether she had to break the law to do it or not.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"So… this is Telford…" Ronnie thought to herself soberly, she was walking down one of the streets, just gazing around at the people, "Where my baby grew up…"

It was just a normal town, kind of run down and ugly but normal none the less. When Ronnie had imagined where her child might have grown up it was nothing like this ordinary little place….. she had always felt that her child needed her some how…. that her adoptive parents were cruel to her. This, of course wasn't the case. Just some stupid sick fantasy that she had dreamed up.

She walked into a corner shop to ask directions to the church. The funeral wouldn't be over yet surely.

"Yeh love I know where it is…. You heading to the funeral…." asked the woman at the counter. Ronnie nodded in agreement.

"Such a sweet little girl…. poor thing. Well I remember her from when she was little don't I… Such an angel she was…" the woman trailed off and sniffed loudly.

Ronnie was relieved, she couldn't bare to listen to any more, she sighed softly, just loud enough for the woman to hear.

"It's just up on George street love…" said the woman in a solemn voice, "Poor child," she muttered again, and began serving one of the customers.

Ronnie wondered out of the shop and began looking for street signs.

After walking up a large hill, the church was finally in sight. There were people coming out of it…..it looked as though the service had just ended and the coffin was being carried to it's final resting place.

Ronnie watched from behind a tree as the coffin was lowered and she could hear the minister making a speech. She hugged herself tightly and stared at the scene as if she were looking into a mirror, coffin disappeared beneath the earth….. It might as well have been her own funeral, because at that moment she felt dead inside.

There was a minute's silence in respect for Danielle. Ronnie watched as the crowd bowed their heads in prayer. That minute felt like it was going to last forever and then suddenly the mourners began to leave in their groups. Ronnie noticed Stacey and Charlie making their way out of the church yard.

After everyone had left, the place seemed strangely eerie, Ronnie could swear that there wasn't a sound anywhere. No birds, no cars, no voices, just nothing.

She stepped out from behind the tree and began walking slowly forward. She had no idea what she was going to do or say. What if Danielle couldn't hear her? What if it was too painful for her to come back from if she went to that grave now that her daughter was really in it. She didn't usually believe in god or in heaven or ghosts or anything like that. But someone being gone forever didn't make any sense to her either at the moment.

"Hi Danielle…" she said awkwardly to the picture that stood in front of her, almost staring at her, "Can you hear me sweetheart…." she whispered, as she knelt down at the foot of the grave.

"I'm sorry for what I said to you…. I was just angry, I didn't really mean any of those things I said…" she paused and breathed heavily, "I know that it's no excuse for what happened, but I just hope that you understand that I do and always will love you….."

Ronnie looked longingly at the photograph of her daughter, tears fell down her face and onto the ground and she began to wail with despair.

"Goodbye…" she screamed into the air, "Goodbye my baby…" she said a little more softly…. "I'm sorry…"

It was a long time before Ronnie was able regain control of herself enough to get up off the cold ground. It was well into the afternoon by this point. She took one last look at the grave and then left for home. Her daughter was dead, going to Andy's house and taking things was only going to prolong the agony, and it wasn't what Danielle would have wanted.

"You're back!" exclaimed Roxy as her sister walked through the door into the living room.

"Evidently…" replied Ronnie in a sarcastic tone and sat down next to Roxy, "I went to the funeral by the way… Well I watched it from behind a tree if that counts…."

Roxy shuddered and put her arm around her sister's neck.

"Oh god Ronnie…. I'm so sorry… I should have been with you…" replied her sister with a shocked look on her face. Some how she knew that Ronnie probably would never be the same again after this.

"It's fine…." replied Ronnie in a hollow voice, she shrugged, "Danielle wasn't there…. Not really… It's not like it's gonna matter to her anymore…."

"I'm sure it did matter…" said Roxy comfortingly… "Hey why don't you open your cards aye… It might cheer you up."

"What…. sympathy cards…" snorted Ronnie, "No thanks…."

"No….. Easter cards… there's one from me and Amy…. I'm not sure who the other two are from tho…." replied Roxy, passing the colourful envelopes over to her sister.

Ronnie made no attempt even to acknowledge that they were even there, let alone open them.

Roxy tore one of the envelopes open absentmindedly as she squeezed her sister's hand, "Oh…. This one's a letter…" she exclaimed in a surprised voice, and began to read it…

"Oh…. Oh…. Oh Jesus…" she said quieter… Roxy's face was as white as a sheet as she read the words on the paper. She felt sick, but tried to hide her disgust, for what she had just read would devastate her sister even further…. She folded up the letter and said, "It's from dad… You don't Wanna read it…"

Ronnie began to get suspicious, "No… give it here Roxy, it was addressed to me right… I wanna see what that bastard has to say for himself…."

"I don't think it's a good idea Ron!" insisted her sister snatching the letter out of reach.

"Give it to me now!" snapped Ronnie, ripping the note out of Roxy's hands, "What the hell has gotten into you…" she held the letter in both hands and began to read it out loud.

_Dear Ronnie_

_I don't exactly know how to say this, but I'm your daughter. I got your details from an adoption agency a couple of months ago but I decided not to write to you until now. I'd like to get in touch with you as soon as possible. My number is on the back of this letter, and the picture is of me…._

Ronnie eyes burned with both anger and confusion…. "What the hell is this!" she yelled at Roxy, "What kind of a sick joke is this!" she shouted at again at her bewildered looking sister.

"Maybe…. It was dad…. I dunno….. Just bin it Ron…." insisted Roxy, tears streaming down her face, "It must be someone's idea of a sick joke…"

"Wait…." whispered Ronnie…. she emptied the envelope out onto the floor…

Inside was a picture of a girl, around twenty years old. It was Danielle. But it wasn't Danielle, she was different. Longer hair and slightly different features. She was holding a little girl of around two. Her daughter maybe.

"I don't think I can take much more of this Roxy…." said Ronnie in a small child like voice, as she gazed in bewilderment at the girl who was staring back at her from the photograph.


End file.
